Mayor, City Council, community leaders rally around dedication to gun violence prevention
Immediate actions include introduction of a resolution addressing the public health crisis Mayor Levar Stoney, Police Chief Gerald Smith, members of Richmond City Council and other city leaders and community members gathered outside City Hall today to announce their intent to declare gun violence a public health crisis through a formal resolution. The resolution outlines the current state of gun violence, which for generations has disproportionately impacted Black communities and underserved neighborhoods. It also highlights some of the work that the city and community partners have done and continue to do to combat gun violence, and calls on the state and federal governments to take specific steps to prevent gun violence in communities like Richmond. “This resolution is a unified acknowledgement that gun violence is a public health crisis with deeply rooted causes,” said Mayor Stoney. “But the legislation is more than just an acknowledgement; it is a commitment to build on